Samarium cobalt magnets are not as powerful as super-strong neodymium magnets but they have some significant advantages. Samarium cobalt magnets work over a wider temperature range, have superior temperature coefficients and have much greater corrosion resistance. Samarium cobalt magnets certainly come into their own at high operating temperatures and will begin to outperform special high-temperature neodymium magnets from 150°C. However, regular neodymium magnets have a maximum operating temperature of 80°C.
Samarium cobalt magnets do not just excel at high temperatures, they maintain their magnetic properties even at temperatures below absolute zero (-273 °C) making them popular for cryogenic applications.
Did you know?
Samarium cobalt magnets can even be used in temperatures as low as -273°C (known as absolute zero). That’s mighty cold!
As most grades of samarium cobalt contain little or no iron, this gives them an excellent resistance to corrosion whereas neodymium magnets typically contain 60-75% iron. Samarium cobalt magnets, like neodymium magnets, provide a lot of magnetic strength (although not as much as neodymium magnets) when compared to their size and because they are rare-earth magnets they have an extremely high-resistance to demagnetisation from external magnetic fields.
On the downside samarium cobalt magnets can be expensive when compared to neodymium magnets due to the cost of producing cobalt. As with other rare-earth magnets, they are also very brittle and are therefore best used in applications where direct impact is not required.
Samarium cobalt magnets, because of their characteristics are most commonly used in applications which require high operating temperatures such as generators, pump couplings, sensors, motors, marine applications and in the automotive, aerospace, military and food and manufacturing industries.
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